Bobbin winders for sewing machines



E. W. BlALY Dec. 19,1967

BOBBIN WINDERS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed March 29, 1966 INVENTOR. Edward W. Bialy WITNESS BY %J( 9' ATTORNEY United States Patent 3 358 627 BOBBIN WINDERS iiori SEWING MACHINES Edward W. Bialy, Hillside, NJ., assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 538,421 7 Claims. (Cl. 112-218) This invention relates to bobbin winders for sewing machines and more particularly to a pivotally mounted long-arm bobbin winder.

In modern sewing machines having stylized frames, it is highly desirable from an aesthetic point of view to conceal the bobbin winder inside the frame so as not to interrupt the clean, graceful lines of the frame. Concealment of the bobbin Winder inside the frame immediately presents the problem of how to operate the bobbin Winder without providing special access to the interior of the frame or unduly complicating the structure of the bobbin winder.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide an improved bobbin winder for mounting inside a sewing machine which may be operated from outside the sewing machine and which is economical to manu facture.

The essential feature of the subject bobbin winder is the provision for mounting an exteriorly projecting control knob on the distal end of a pivotally-mounted interiorly-housed elongated arm. The long radius of the elongated arm coupled with the short displacement involved, prevent the control knob from receding into its slot in the frame when shifted between operating and nonoperating positions. A friction washer mounted on the pivot stud holds the rubber-tired spindle drive wheel into or out of driving contact with a face of the handwheel.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the top of a standard of a sewing machine with the top cover removed and a portion of the front wall of the standard in section to reveal the bobbin winder of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a detail cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the top portion of the standard of the sewing machine of FIG. 1.

With reference to the drawings, the invention is illustrated as incorporated in a modern sewing machine having a stylized hollow frame. Although only that part of the frame is shown which directly cooperates with the invention, the frame includes a work-supporting bed (not shown), a hollow standard 10 rising from one end of the work-supporting bed, and a hollow bracket arm 11 extending laterally from the top of the standard over the work-supporting bed. Covering the top of the standard and the bracket arm is a removable cover 12 which is connected to the frame in a conventional manner by means of screws (not shown).

Mounted inside the frame is an arm shaft 13 which extends longitudinally through the bracket arm and the top of the standard. A rotating wheel or handwheel 14 is secured to the standard-end of the arm shaft and has a V-shaped groove 15 formed in the circumference to accommodate a V-belt 16. The V-belt operatively connects the handwheel to a source of motive power.

The bobbin Winder includes an elongated arm 17 which is pivotally mounted on a shelf 18 formed in the machine frame at the rear of the sewing machine. The elongated arm is formed with an elongated groove 19 and is pivotally mounted on the shelf by a vertical axis pivot 3,358,627 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 means or pivot stud indicated generally at 20 having a slotted head portion 21 to receive a screw driver. A threaded end portion 22 of the pivot stud is screwed into a mating threaded bore 23 in the shelf 18, and a smooth bearing surface 24 on the pivot stud accommodates the elongated arm. Encircling a narrow neck portion 25 of the pivot stud are holding means represented by a friction washer 26. Both the friction washer and the slotted head portion 21 of the pivot stud are housed in a counterbore or recess 27 formed in the elongated arm.

Integral with the distal end of the elongated arm 17 is an inverted Y-shaped bracket 28 having two limbs 29 and 30. The limb 29 is truncated and is formed with an operator-accessible knurled control knob 31 which projects through a hole 32 in the frame at the top of the standard and a hole or slot 33 in a control panel 34 which is secured to the front of the frame by means of screws 35. A cylindrical boss 36 is formed at the distal end of the other limb 30 of the bracket 28.

Journaled in a bore 37 in the cylindrical boss 36 on the bracket 28 is a bobbin-accommodating spindle, indicated generally at 38. The spindle is rotated by means which include a drive wheel 39 fixed on the interior end of the spindle. Friction means preferably represented by an annular rubber rim 40 on the drive wheel transmits rotating motion to the spindle upon contact with a face 41 of the rotating handwheel 14. It is possible to provide the friction means on the face 41 of the rotating handwheel 14 in lieu of the rim 40 of the drive wheel 39.

The bobbin-accommodating spindle 38 is axially held in the bore 37 in the cylindrical boss 36 by a collar 42 which is secured to the bobbin-accornmodating end 43 of the spindle through a press fit. The bobbin-accommodating end of the spindle projects through the hole 32 in the frame and a second slot 44 in the front control panel 34. Formed in the bobbin-accommodating end 43 of the spindle is a diametrical slot 45 housing a U-shaped spring 46 which is compressed into the slot 45 by a bore in a bobbin (not shown) to frictionally retain the bobbin on the end of the spindle.

A clamp washer, indicated generally at 47, which may be of the type disclosed in the United States patent of Kuhar, No. 2,858,785, Nov. 4, 1958, may be provided so that the handwheel 14 can be declutched from the stitchforming mechanism when winding thread on a bobbin.

In operation, when it is desired to wind thread on a bobbin, the bobbin is placed on the bobbin-accommodating end 43 of the spindle 38 and by a simple light-switch type action, the control knob 31 is manually shifted to press the annular rubber rim 40 of the drive wheel 39 into contact with the face 41 of the rotating handwheel 14. When the required amount of thread has been wound on the bobbin, the rim of the drive wheel is shifted out of contact with the face of the handwheel.

The pivotal mounting of the elongated arm 17 makes it possible to provide an uncomplicated bobbin winder which is economical to manufacture. The long radius of the elongated arm coupled with the short displacement involved prevents the control knob 31 from receding into its slot 33 in the control panel 34, a feature which is impossible to obtain with known short-arm bobbin winders which are pivotally mounted. The substantially in-line arrangement of the control knob 31 and the elongated arm 17 further serves to maintain the distal end of the control knob substantially a uniform distance from the portion of the outer surface of the control panel 34 in the vicinity of its slot 33 when the control knob is shifted between operating and nonoperating positions.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is:

1. A bobbin winder for a sewing machine which includes a hollow frame having a first hole and a second hole, said bobbin winder comprising a bracket housed inside the frame in proximity to said holes and having a bore therein, a bobbin-accommodating spindle journaled in said bore with the bobbin-accommodating end .protruding through said first hole in the frame, means for rotating the spindle mounted inside the frame, an operator-accessible control knob on said bracket and protruding through said second hole in the frame, an elongated arm on the side of the bracket opposite from the control knob, pivot means inside said arm for pivotally mountng said elongated arm, said elongated arm having a long enough radius to permit swinging the spindle into and out of contact with said spindle rotating means while maintaining the distal end of said control knob substantially a uniform distance from the portion of the outer surface of the frame in the vicinity of said second hole in the frame, and means for selectively holding said spindle into and out of contact with said spindle rotating means.

2. The bobbin winder of claim 1 in which said means for selectively holding said spindle into and out of contact with said spindle rotating means includes a friction J laterally from the standard over the Work-supporting bed and stitch-forming mechanisms in said frame; a shaft mounted in the frame and extending longitudinally through the bracket arm and the top of the standard;

and a rotating wheel mounted on the shaft; said bobbin winder comprising a bracket housed inside the frame in proximity to said holes and having a bore therein, a bobbin-accommodating spindle journaled in said bore with the bobbin-accommodating end protruding through said first hole in the frame, a drive wheel mounted on the spindle inside the frame of the sewing machine, friction means between the drive Wheel and a face of said rotating wheel, an operator-accessible controlv knob on said bracket and protruding through said second hole in the frame, an elongated arm on the side of the bracket opposite from the control knob, vertical axis pivot means adjacent the rear wall of the frame pivotally mounting said elongated arm, said elongated arm having a long enough radius to permit swinging the drive wheel into and out of frictional contact with the face of said wheel while maintaining the distal end of said control knob substantially a uniform distance from the portion of the outer surface of the frame in the vicinity of said second hole in the frame, and means for selectively holding said drive wheel into and out of frictional contact with said wheel.

5. The bobbin winder of claim 4 in which said means for selectively holding said spindle into and out of contact with said spindle rotating means includes a friction washer on said pivot means.

6. The bobbin winder of claim 4 in which said control knob on said bracket is substantially in line with said elongated arm.

7. The bobbin winder of claim 4 which includes means for operating said rotating wheel independently of said stitch-forming mechanisms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS V 3/1947 Ivandick 112-220 FOREIGN PATENTS 959,332 5/1964 Great Britain.

25,889 5/ 1959 Japan. 150,862 7/ 1955 Sweden.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

H. H. HUNTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BOBBIN WINDER FOR A SEWING MACHINE WHICH INCLUDES A HOLLOW FRAME HAVING A FIRST HOLE AND A SECOND HOLE, SAID BOBBIN WINDER COMPRISING A BRACKET HOUSED INSIDE THE FRAME IN PROXIMITY TO SAID HOLES AND HAVING A BORE THEREIN, A BOBBIN-ACCOMMODATING SPINDLE JOURNALED IN SAID BORE WITH THE BOBBIN-ACCOMMODATING END PROTRUDING THROUGH SAID FIRST HOLE IN THE FRAME, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE SPINDLE MOUNTED INSIDE THE FRAME, AND OPERATOR-ACCESSIBLE CONTROL KNOB ON SAID BRACKET AND PROTRUDING THROUGH SAID SECOND HOLE IN THE FRAME, AN ELONGATED ARM ON THE SIDE OF THE BRACKET OPPOSITE FROM THE CONTROL KNOB, PIVOT MEANS INSIDE SAID ARM FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID ELONGATED ARM, SAID ELONGATED ARM HAVING A LONG ENOUGH RADIUS TO PERMIT SWINGING THE SPINDLE INTO AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID SPINDLE ROTATING MEANS WHILE MAINTAINING THE DISTAL END OF SAID CONTROL KNOB SUBSTANTIALLY A UNIFORM DISTANCE FROM THE PORTION OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE FRAME IN THE VICINITY OF SAID SECOND HOLE IN THE FRAME, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY HOLDING SAID SPINDLE INTO AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID SPINDLE ROTATING MEANS. 